Allen & Heath QU-16C User Manual

DIGITAL MIXING RESHAPED

ALLEN&HEATH

Digital Mixing Reshaped

We have been creating high end mixing consoles for
some of the most discerning ears in the business since

1969. We’re not a software house, we don’t make stomp
boxes or cable testers – creating excellent mixers is, has
been and always will be our great passion. Qu mixers
have been designed by our in-house research and
development team in Cornwall, Great Britain, and are
directly descended from the GLD and iLive digital mixing

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systems that have earned the industry’s respect night
after night on tour and in live venues across the globe –
so you can be confident that you’re standing behind a
premium mixer that looks, feels, and sounds like a pro.

Qu mixers harness the full potential of digital mixing
technology, with total recall of settings (including the
all-important fader position and preamp gain),
convenient recording and playback solutions, iPad
control, personal monitoring options and the choice of
local or remote Cat5 I/O.

AnalogiQTM Preamps

The Mixing Experience

Our AnalogiQTM total recall preamps feature zero crossing
detection and an advanced padless 1dB step gain stage,
closely allied to the DSP for optimal gain accuracy and
audio transparency. The analogue signal is captured by
high class, low latency 24bit analogue to digital converters,
matched to high quality 24bit digital to analogue
converters to deliver the required outputs. The AnalogiQ
design has been refined to offer superb transparency,

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minimal distortion and an ultra-low noise floor, with a warm,
musical sound that is missing from some digital consoles.

TM

Touch Control

The 800 x 480, sixteen million colour Touchscreen and its
dedicated data encoder form the heart of the Qu interface,
providing super-fast, easy access to all settings. The
user-friendly interface has been designed with clarity in mind.
Dedicated keys and screen tabs quickly guide you to meter
and RTA views, FX racks, channel processing, USB audio
control, scenes, setup menus and much more.

Having massive processing power and advanced
functionality is great, but it counts for nothing if you can’t
access the controls you need in a heartbeat. Once you start
using a Qu you’ll sense the years of research into
ergonomics and the hands-on mixing experience that our
team has drawn upon to deliver a wonderfully natural layout
and workflow. It’s not about recreating an analogue
interface, it’s about creating an experience that’s fluid,

interface,
comfortable and intuitive for novices, digital natives and old
school road warriors alike, making all the benefits of digital
mixing technology readily accessible to all.

Fader Automation

Moving faders started as an expensive option in the studio
desks of the 80s, and later became the norm with the advent
of digital technology. Nevertheless some entry-level digital
mixers lack this precious commodity which is a fundamental
part of the Total Recall approach. Fader automation is
essential for rapid mixing, especially when you’re dealing
with multiple monitor mixes – just press a mix key and the
faders immediately fly to the send levels for that mix.

faders immediately fly to the send levels for that mix.

Qu-16, Qu-24 and Qu-32 feature 16, 24 and 32 motorized
ALPS faders respectively, arranged over 2 layers, allowing
instant access to all channels and masters in a compact
space, plus a dedicated master fader which dynamically
follows the mix selection. A third, Custom layer is available
for ad-hoc user strip layout, where any combination of
Inputs, FX Sends, FX Returns, Mix masters and MIDI strips
can be assigned.

can be assigned.

Total Recall

True digital mixing is about being able to save and recall
scenes (snapshots) at the press of a button. Qu can store
up to 100 full Scenes for recall at will. Channels and mixes
can be made Safe from Scene recall. For example, if an
instrument or mic gets swapped out after the soundcheck,
the channel can be made safe to avoid settings being
overridden by Scene recalls. Or if a broadcast feed or
walk-in iPod is added last-minute before the show kicks off,

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that mix or channel can be made safe from any scene
change. In addition, single parameter updates can be
blocked using a Recall Filter. So if you tweak the graphic
EQ to reflect the room response when the audience gets in,
you can block this to prevent any overwriting at scene
change.

Custom settings for each EQ, compressor or channel can
be saved as Library presets. This lets you store your tried
and tested setting for your favourite vocal mic or reverb
pattern and apply it to other channels or shows. Libraries,
Scenes and the complete Show configuration can be
saved to a USB key, so you can carry the show with you,
ready to use on another Qu mixer.

Automatic Mic Mixer (AMM)

AMM is vital in applications such as conferences, meetings
and panel discussions where a number of microphones are
open at the same time. Reducing background noise and
minimising the risk of feedback, the Automatic Microphone
Mixer helps the engineer to manage the levels of multiple
mic inputs, ensuring that each speaker’s contribution is
heard clearly. The D-Classic dynamic gain sharing algorithm
is inspired by industry standard automixers. Up to 16

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microphone sources can be mixed at once, with each
channel having a priority setting which determines its
‘weight’ in the total system gain.

iLive FX

Qu’s dynamics and FX algorithms are derived from the FX
used in our iLive pro touring series. Some of the world’s most
respected audio engineers have chosen to use iLive’s FX on
tour in preference to top-end plug-ins and external FX units.
All Qu models boast 4 stereo iLive FX engines, featuring
lovingly crafted emulations of legendary classic reverbs,
gated reverbs, delays, modulators, flangers and more.

The FX library has the ability to grow with future firmware
releases. FX are returned to the mix on dedicated return
channels, so you’re not tying up your mono and stereo input
channels. Each Stereo FX Return has a dedicated 4 band
PEQ.

Qu-Drive

Forget soundcard drivers and software setup, Qu has an
integrated multitrack USB recorder, providing 18 channels
of 48kHz, 24bit recording and playback straight to / from
your USB hard drive. Capturing multitrack recordings of
your shows has never been so easy. Mixes and FX returns
can be recorded alongside channels, and multitrack audio
can be played back to the mixer for virtual sound-checks.

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An independent set of controls is provided for quick stereo
recording of the main LR or other mix outputs, and a
2-track USB return can be routed to ST3 for playback of
stereo WAV files such as walk-in music.

The SuperStrip

On Qu-16, Qu-24 and Qu-32 all your key processing tools are
presented in a clean layout on the SuperStrip, with 1 function
per physical control. The SuperStrip is complemented by an
onscreen TouchChannel for intuitive access to full processing
parameters without clutter or complex menu structures.
Processing for Mono and Stereo inputs includes trim,
polarity, HPF, gate, insert, 4 band PEQ, compressor and
delay. All mixes including LR provide Insert, 4 band PEQ, 1/3

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octave GEQ, compressor and delay.

On Qu-Pac, the new Channel screen replaces the physical
fader strips. Different tabs provide access to Input Channels,
FX, Groups, Mixes, DCA and Mute Groups. Tap on a channel
to select and the Virtual Fader strip gives control of level,
mute, pan and PAFL for the selected channel. Tap on the
Current Mix box to select a different Mix.

Channel Ducker

An advanced yet easy to use Ducker is now available on
every channel. It can be inserted on the fly on any number
of Inputs and Stereo Groups, providing auto signal
attenuation and then gently restoring the level to aid the
operator in endless applications: reduce the level of
background music when a single microphone or mic mix
is in use, for example during live announcements, or give
a chairman microphone priority over others. Setup is a

a
breeze, with the option to share Ducker settings across
multiple channels when in Gang mode.

USB Audio Streaming

Qu’s built-in interface streams multitrack audio to your Mac or
PC via a flexible patching system: all Input channels and the
Main LR can be recorded at the same time, or you may
choose to record something different such as FX returns or a
pair of mixes.

The returns from the computer can be assigned to the Input

The
channels. The interface is class-compliant on Mac OS X – and
drivers are available for Windows systems. Either way, it will
be recognized straightaway by any DAW supporting ASIO or
Core Audio, including Logic, Cubase, Reaper, and Pro Tools.

Quickly access preamp gain,

HPF frequency, PEQ settings,

gate & compressor threshold,

and PAN. The Source key

toggles between analogue

inputs or USB.

5” 800x480 colour touchscreen
with dedicated navigation keys
and rotary encoder.

GEQ Flip toggles the faders to

Graphic EQ sliders.

Copy, Paste or Reset any section
of processing or a whole channel
or mix. The Fn (Function) key
brings up a popup page relevant
to the current screen.

Qu-Drive multitrack / stereo recording
and playback, data transfer, archiving
and firmware update.

ST3 Mini-jack stereo input
for portable devices.

Fader strips with Mute, Select, PAFL
switches, signal meter, and 100mm
motorised fader. Access all the processing
for each strip with Sel. The Peak indicators
are multi-point – they are triggered by any
signal clip in the channel path.

16 faders in 3 layers give
access to all channels and
masters in a compact space.
Assign any combination of
Inputs, FX sends, FX returns
and Mix masters to the
Custom layer.

Access mix sends on faders with
the dedicated Mix keys.

4 user-assignable SoftKeys for scene
recall, mutes, tap tempo and more.